Railroad-semaphore.



i v PATENT-ED DBG.11,'1906. e s WILLOUGHBY RAILROAD SEMAPHORE.

urmouron mam APR. 28',

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAILROAD-SEIVIAPHORE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 23, 1906. Serial NO. 313,100-

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

To all whom it ncay concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE SPENCER WIL- LOUGHBY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State oflVashington, have invented a new and useful Attachment toRailroad-Semaphores, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad-semaphores by which thearm of the semaphore is held in a position indicating safety, and isautomatically released to a danger-signal, a full, clear, and exactdescription of which is contained herein; and the ob ject of myimprovement is to provide a system of signals by which the falling uponand obstructing of the track by any object is instantly recorded at adistance and the track closed to travel. I attain this object by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are referredto herein and made a part of this specification, in which similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-sectionof a semaphore with the mechanismattached, as viewed from above. Fig. 2 is a view of lever controllingsemaphore-arm. Fig. 3 is a side view of mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a plate attached to semaphore. Fig. 5 is a view of apparatus usedfor actuating mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a side view ofsemaphore with mechanism attached.

Fig. 7 is a front view of semaphore with arm in its normal position atsafety.

The semaphore shown in the drawings is the standard semaphore adopted byrailroads, although semaphores of other patterns may be used.

The details of construction and method of operation are as follows:

2 represents the upright post of asemaphore, and 1 the lever, with itsweight 11 attached, controlling the semaphore-arm by rod 10. In thelever 1 a recess or perforation 3 is made to receive the end of thereciprocating pin or shaft 4, which is held in that position preferablyby springs 5 and 5, one end of which is attached to eyebars 6 and 6,extending through post of semaphore 2, and the other end to cross-arm 7,attached to the shaft 4, the collar 18 regulating the distance which theend of the shaft 4 enters the hole in lever 1. The shaft 4 preferably atone end extends through and is supported by the semaphore-post 2 and atthe other end by pillow-block 9 and reciprocates in these bearings.

16 is the ladder of the semaphore, and 17 is a plate which is attachedto semaphorepost 2 just above lever 1 and extends down and over thelever as a protection thereto.

It will readily be seen that the end of shaft 7 4 can be drawn out ofthe hole 3, releasing the semaphore-arm, by a direct lateral pull. To dothis automatically requires an actuating medium, which is supplied bythe apparatus shown in Fig. 5, in which 13 and 13 and 14 and 14represent wires or cables loosely suspended on posts 15 set in theground, the wires or cables being brought together at either end andattached to ring 8 of the semaphore mechanism. The wires or cables areconnected together, referably, by wovenwire-fencing. 12. T 's woven wireis attached to the wires or cables either in separate sections or panelsbetween the posts or continuously in such a manner as not to interferewith the free movement of the wires or cables in their bearings. In thecut, Fig. 5, the wires or cables of each series are shown anchored atone end to a 0st and left free at the other end to be attacffed to ring8. I do not wish to confine myself to this construction, as both endsmay be attached to semaphores, nor to the number, arrangement, or mannerof connecting them together, as these details will have to be adapted tothe character of the ground to be covered and the particular dangersagainst which protection is desired. This fence or barrier, Fig. 5, isextended along the side of the track and connected at either end withsemaphores, as above described, the arms of the semaphores being held atsafety, as shown in Fig. 7. It will be seen that any pressure upon thefence or barriersuch as would be produced by trees, rocks, boulders,earth, or other matter falling upon or against itsufficient to producean obstruction upon the track will exert a pull on the wires or cablesconnected with the semaphore, thereby actuating the mechanism holdingthe semaphore-arm at safety, releasing it and allowing the arm to becarried to a horizontal position by the weight attached, signalingdanger, thus affording a perfect protection to the track, givingimmediate warningof any obstruction, and stopping all travel from eitherdirection until the obstruction is removed, and the semaphore-arms areagain set at safety and the road reopened to traffic.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In combination with a railroad-semaphore,mechanism for holding the arm of the semaphore in a osition to signalsafety, and for automatica ly releasing said arm to a danger-signal,consisting of a reciprocating shaft held in engagement with the lever ofthe semaphore-arm by springs.

2. In combination with a railroad-semaphore, mechanism for holding thearm of the semaphore in a position to signal safety, and forautomatically releasing said arm to a danger-signal, consisting of areciprocating shaft held in engagement with the lever of thesemaphore-arm by springs; and means for actuating the mechanism from adistance, consisting of wires or cables loosely suspended and connectedwith said mechanism.

3. In combination with a railroad-semaphore, mechanism consisting of areciprocating shaft held in engagement with the lever of the semaphorearm by springs.

4. In combination With a railroad-semaphore, mechanism consisting of areciprocating shaft held in engagement with the lever of thesemaphore-arm by springs, and means for disengaging said shaft at adistance.

5. In combination with a railroad-semaphore, mechanism consisting of areciprocating shaft held in engagement with the lever of thesemaphore-arm by springs, and wires or cables in parallel seriesconnected together by woven wire, loosely suspended on posts andextended to a distance, attached thereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE SPENCER WILLOUGHBY.

Witnesses:

T. L. ROGERS, M. J. WAGER.

